Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-09-09
BCRKER ROSS HANGED.
He Pays the Penalty OF Hts Crime
upO0 the SCa(fOId.

BURKER ROSS HANGED.
ae Pays the Penalty OF His Crime
upon the ScaffOId.
BALTIMORE. Sept e.-John Thomas Ross, colored,
Vas executed at IL :s5 p. m to-day. FOR the murder
OF Enily Brown, white he spent the few remain
ing hours OF his life after breakfast In CONVERSE
uon WITH his lady visitors and In singing an lnso-
GaSoR or a. 70 OF, the AmghtS Toward osoTS the Wis
alIhough Ross ud not repeat the words through
oGt, his voice could Dc heard at times clear and
aIslhct ana without tremor, joining IN the re-
Train. He then came out OF his cell In his shirt
sleeves and with both hands In his pockets, gazed
for minute 50 at the newspaper men deputy
sherins, and oGicers OF the iail standing about
.as ioooy HIS ewes were glazed, and ne
ia ae1 ed about and up at the Getting as u
present, cut sull had his mind apsorDed by some
oyershadoMing idea from which he could not free
outw ard indication or nervousness noticeable IN
any movement he made
SIT Is WELL wTrH nv soUI-"
About $3.50 o'clock Rev. Messrs Allen and Reed,
Ross spiritual advisers, made their appearance
AMI were shown at once 10 the cell OF the doomed
man. They eXnortei Ross To bear up manfully
under the trying ordeal and 10 put his trust the
Lord. Russ Responded 10 their eXhortAtion
stsgHs uP he % @n az ans ~T he T1sS MS
women joined in the choruA and the
ma isle re-echoed throughout the entire building.
Rev. Mr.. ZinAhan came IN at 10 O'Clock and went
into the CELL Just as the group around Ross were
singing, III Is gooi 10 DC there Ross Then sang
time time that Ia he he appeared a little nervous
Two or Ross relatives, Nm. and Ida BIOcSson,
came the 1aii about quarter 10 IL o'clock. and
were at once admitted 10 his cell Ross was
deeply affected AT the meeting and their presence
seems sun iurJher 20 uunerNe him. Then the
minister intoned the hymn "ri soon be at home"
! There We're only those present who we're invited
| started irom his cell TO the gallows
few minutes later, after he was manacled
ana the black cap drawn over MS lace
| the spring WAS touched ana the trap fel. Ros
died Without a struggle. his neck was no
brohen, ana ue died ot stranguiation In ten and
| a halI minutes
The STORY OF His Crime.
The crime for which Ross was hanged Is one OF
the most brutal that ever occurred In the State of
Marya land. Emily Brown, an old white womA An, who
had seen better days, WAS living with Mary Block.
som, the mother OF Ross az No. 3P1s alley IN Bal
timore This old woman was murdered ON Friday
afternoon, December 10. lSS6, for the purpose
Ross confessed OF selling her bOfy 20 the Maryland
University School of Medicine. Ross took the body
10 the university, where II was received by Ander-
| son Perry, colored, the assistant Janttor, who
placed IL In the disSeCting room and prepared II Tor
| dissection. Dr. Harlan. ON examining the body
next morning, found that the head had been
| crushed and that two stabs had been made In this
breast. The doctor reported at the police head
quarters that he thought the woman had been mur.
| defed. Investigation was Ut once begun, which,
| in "A few hunrS resulted In the arrest OF R0ss.
Perry, and Albert Hawkins as the perpetrators Of
| the crime.
ROSS CONFESSION.
| Ross as soon as arrested made a confession to
/ Marshal Frey. He said that the crime was planned
| by Perry and committed by him (Ross) ami Hawk
ins. He stated { at Perry had frequently lmpor.
tuned him 'to do the old wOma n up" and that they
could get l5 for the body. Ross further said that
| on the day the old woman was killed Perry had
made him drunk in order 10 nerve him up TO CON-
| INIT the deed. lie admitted having struck the old
woman on the head with a brick, but said tho
stabbing was done by Hawkins. koss told the
ATrFrI nr rtn1 m4hn r1f LAM mi
fession 10 the same effect shortly before the execu-
tion. ON the Monday night follow ing the crime
| al Inquest WAS held by Coroner sparrow at the
! Western station and verdict rendered charging
| Ross and Hawkins as principals IN the deed aud
| Perry as an accessory. ON Tuesday, December 10,
| the case was taken up by the grand jury, pre-
| sentiment and indictment were found, and tho
| same day the prisoners We're arraigned before
| Judge Duny.
| THE TRIAL AND CONVICTION.
VIM. shepard Bry an, jr, and chas. A. Boston ap-
peared as counsel for Ross and Hawkins, and John
f. Bennett jr., for Perry. A severance was ask i
for and Ross was put on trial before jury. The
tr1al lasted one day and resulted Ia verdict OF
murder In the flrst degree. new trial was re-
Iu,ed by the supreme bench and the case WAS
taken 10 the court OF appeals, on the point that
Ross confession 10 MARSHAL Frey was made in
durInce and should not have been allowed 10 go
10 the jury as evidence. The court OF Appeals
aflrmed Judge DG1fy's rulings. Perry was tried
! beiUrt Judge Duly without jury. The tral lasted
| eight days There was no cOny1cting eyidenC q
against him beyond that given by Ross which Judgs
/
dered a verdict OF not guilty. The State then en-
| tered nolle pros In Hawkins case. Perry s0ou
| IeIu town, after being chased by mob. Hawkins,
Il Is SAID enlisted Ia the United States Army But
little Is knOwn OF Ross private history. He was
employed AZ different times by various firms as
drdyman, and was regarded a supplemented
fellow. lie had been arrested several times fol
minor offenSes. He was twenty-four years old
he proiessed conversion about the middle OF Au
| gust, ana was baptized by Immersion Ia The
fountain in the jail yard by Rev. j. {. Allen
| colored.
EFFORTS IN TIE PRISONERS BEHALF.
Ross execution was originally set for August "a
but GOV. Lloyd granted a repyteye, In order thai
the documents accompanying an application FOL
his pardon on the ground OF Insanity might
be examined, but yesterday the governor
declined , TO interfere @ aST further SAYING tns, tns
I It's course. Ross was eXam1nh by Drs. Con
! rad and Hill, both experts In insanity, who sub
miuted lengthy reports adverse 10 the claim thai
the prisoner was of unsound mind. Dr. Conrad
said he had come 70 The opinion that the cssa
is one of moral depravity: ratner than belongins
TO any one or the classes OF insanity, idiocy or I'm
beciiity. lie reviewed the evidence carefully, and
concludes his report by saying that .The evidences
adduced appeals TO my Judgment In such way
4 that l am forced TO conclude that the man Il
res ponsib BILE before the law for the crime OF which
ae stands convicted" Dr. thas 9. Hill, OF Moun,
fiope Asylum, who also examined Ross, says
/ that he Is In no sense Insane, nor does
| Ee come within the limits OF inevitable idiocy
lie would place him In that uncertain ground
| covered by the term feeble minded. Lie
s.lieyes the work-house and the prison the propsr
| / lace Ior Ross. ana not the gallows-
ROSS SPENT YESTERDAY
| In religious devotion He was visited by his
M " her and brother. He believes that he will be
hu ~ and says he is ready to die He wrapped up
IN, coat and shoes and gave them 10 his mother "
| tak home but she declined. he Uhen w1lied hi:
has not yet been made, but IL Is likely that IL VIA
| be zen To hs mother. He continues Ia Gooo
spin IS, but broke down once during the religion:
serv ,e. Catholic priest called 10 see MIN, out
| he IL. Us ed an interview.